<\/b><\/p>\n
Now you may be wondering…<\/p>\n
“Why that particular range of 85 to 90 db?”<\/p>\n
Well, it’s because of something called the “Fletcher Munson Curve”. <\/p>\n
The Fletcher Munson Curve & Mixing<\/h2>\n
What many don’t realize is that we humans don’t perceive sound linearly. <\/p>\n
You would think if you heard a low-pitched sound and a high-pitched sound at the same volume-level you would perceive them as being the same in volume…but this isn’t the case.<\/p>\n
As the actual loudness changes, the perceived loudness our brains hear will change at a different rate, depending on the frequency.<\/p>\n
Crazy, I know!<\/p>\n
Here’s how it impacts your mixing:<\/p>\n
- \n
- At low listening volumes<\/strong> \u2013 mid range frequencies sound more prominent, while the low and high frequency ranges seem to fall into the background.<\/li>\n
- At high listening volumes<\/strong> \u2013 the lows and highs sound more prominent, while the mid range seems comparatively softer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Yet in reality, the overall tonal balance of the sound remains the same, no matter what the listening volume.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/orpheusaudioacademy.com\/stagingnew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Fletcher-Munson.gif\" "\\"Fletcher-Munson\\"")
<\/span><\/p>\nThis Fletcher Munson Curve showing the relationship between volume, frequency, and human hearing perception.<\/p>\n
If you stop and think for a second, you’ll realize this is true. You can try it out by playing a song at low volume and seeing what you hear. <\/p>\n
Probably not a lot of high or low frequencies. Just the stuff in the middle. <\/p>\n
This is music sounds better at higher volume levels, more specifically, in the 85db to 90db range, as this is the range at which our hearing is the most linear. <\/p>\n
No wonder there are so many song lyrics about cranking the radio up! <\/p>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/orpheusaudioacademy.com\/stagingnew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Screen-Shot-2020-10-28-at-4.41.32-PM.png\" "\\"Screen")
<\/span><\/p>\nWhy Bass Sounds Inaudible At Lower Volumes<\/h2>\n
As you’ve probably noticed, the first thing to go when you turn down the volume is the bass.<\/p>\n
Well if you look at the graph above, it’s not hard to understand why. As you can see, as the volume decreases, the bass precipitously decreases, whereas the other frequencies maintain a more relatively regular relationship. <\/p>\n
In fact, you can’t even hear 50hz and below unless you’re listening at a level of at least 40db. <\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/orpheusaudioacademy.com\/stagingnew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Rapid-Song-Finishing-Checklist-1-3-scaled.jpg\" "\\"Rapid")
<\/span><\/p>\nCreate Better Songs, Faster<\/h4>\n
Click below to download my free song-finishing checklist to help you create radio-ready songs without taking months to complete them.<\/p>\n
__CONFIG_colors_palette__{“active_palette”:0,”config”:{“colors”:{“4b114”:{“name”:”Main Accent”,”parent”:-1}},”gradients”:[]},”palettes”:[{“name”:”Default Palette”,”value”:{“colors”:{“4b114”:{“val”:”rgb(250, 194, 45)”,”hsl”:{“h”:43,”s”:0.95,”l”:0.58}}},”gradients”:[]},”original”:{“colors”:{“4b114”:{“val”:”rgb(19, 114, 211)”,”hsl”:{“h”:210,”s”:0.83,”l”:0.45}}},”gradients”:[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__ I Want To Finish Songs Faster!<\/span><\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n
When To Mix At Low Volumes<\/h2>\n
Because of Fletcher Munson, you may be thinking that you should always mix at 85 to 90 db. You may have even heard people tell you that you need to mix loud all the time, but this is a mistake. <\/p>\n
The Problem With Mixing Loud<\/h3>\n
Mixing loud (85 to 90 db) should only be done sparingly. This is because this is pretty darn loud. It’s borderline uncomfortably loud. <\/p>\n
Below you can find a chart displaying how loud regular everyday sounds are so you can get an understanding for how loud this is. But in short, mixing loud for extending periods of time will:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Cause your ears to fatigue faster, causing you to loose objectivity when mixing<\/span><\/li>\n
- Potentially cause hearing damage if continued for too long<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- At high listening volumes<\/strong> \u2013 the lows and highs sound more prominent, while the mid range seems comparatively softer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/orpheusaudioacademy.com\/stagingnew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/mad_5d3821059b3571563959557.png\" "\\"mad_5d3821059b3571563959557\\"")
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